Abstract

Due to conflicts and natural disasters every day, thousands of people are leaving their own countries and moving to resettle in another part of the world. This leads, amongst other things, to cross-lingual and cross-cultural clinical encounters. In this context, mutual understanding between patients and healthcare professional is vital for the patients' safety and health outcome. A literature review and previous research showed that satisfactory clinical communication is essential to achieve adequate health outcomes. A prerequisite for mutual understanding between patients with a language barrier and healthcare professionalis a strong language bridge. The interpreter is the third person who facilitates this contact, and in order to avoid misunderstandings a competent professional interpreter is essential.